Improvement in feeding coal



UNITED SrirrEs JonaT E. wILEoED, OE READING, EENNsrLvANLA, AssIGNoE' fro EEZ BRADFORD, OE SAME PLACE.

'PATENT OEEIOE.

IMPROVEMENT IN FEEDING COAL,'&c., FROM A HOPPER.'

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 158,769, dated January 12, 1875; application filed November 16, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it-known that I, J OHN- B. WILFORD,-of Reading', inthe county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Feeding Coal and other Substances from a Hopper, of which the following is a correct specification:

l The object of this 'invention is. to deliver coal and otherl substances of comparatively small size with uniformity from a hopper, so that the same may pass down to the"separat ing or assorting device, or to any receptacle. The Sallie improvement is available in delivering coal, or coal and Ore, into a furnacefor for any similar purpose. i

Iinake use of a revolvin g cylinder with buckets upon its periphery, which cylinder is so located in relation to the hopper that it forms f a stop or breast for the mouth, and as said cylinder is revolved it raises the buckets filled with the material, and, the sur-plus runs back, and that which is lifted is delivered over the cylinder and falls upon an incline or chute. Any. sticks or long substances may work tl'irongh with the granular material, and will 'not obstruct the same, and will finally pass ofI" regulating slide, h, to determine the width of month. The cylinder d is mounted upon the shaft e in suitable bearings upon a t'raine,'f,

heads g is provided with longitudinal plates or ribs 2, Ot' suitable width, so as to form buckets of a size adapted to the material to be fed 'from the hopper. The material falls from the cylinder d intol the chute d is revolved in the direction of the arrow there will be no tendency for the pieces of material to clog or bind, vbut they are lifted with .great ease and regularity,- and only the contents of the buckets can be raised as the revolution progresses, because the surplus runs back toward the hopper, and the delivery of the material is regular and proportioned 'to the speed ofthe revolution of the cylinder.' 1f the parts are positioned, as shown in the detached Fig. 3, the surplus coal will fall back but if the parts are positioned as in Fig. 1, the ascending side of the cylinder will load more or less, according to the width of opening or mouth as regulated by the slide or gate h.

I claim as my invention- A i The. apparatus for feeding cpa-l or other material from -a hopper or receptacle, connsisting of a cylinder with plates or buckets for lifting the material over the top ot such cylinder near the mouth of the hopper, substantially as set forth'.

Signed by ine this 4th day of' August, 18'."

JNO. B. YILFORI).

1Witnesses: v

GEO. T. PIXCKNEY,

Cults. H. Snrrn.

@man

and the surface of said cylinder between the,

It will now be seen that when the cylinder,

and only the bucket as filled be carried over; 

